


To Wait For You

by StarlingHawke (Bowm8935)



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Drinking, M/M, mild violence described once
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-17 12:23:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11851494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bowm8935/pseuds/StarlingHawke
Summary: Teenage Hyun is rescued off the streets in the middle of a blizzard by a mysterious man. When he wakes up in a strange house, living with some strange people, his life changes completely.For Day 7 of MM Rare Pair Week on tumblr!





	To Wait For You

The wind bites at Hyun’s face as he sinks into his leather jacket, doing his best to keep his voice steady despite the shivers that keep wracking his entire body. There’s hardly anyone out tonight, just the occasional person rushing by with last minute groceries to prepare for the oncoming storm. Most of them simply glance at him in pity while other stare unabashedly and he can’t decide if the latter has more to do with his looks or the fact that he’s out here in the foul weather. 

It’s not exactly as if he has a choice. He has no other clothes, nothing warmer to wear and he’s hungry. Everyone is trying to get home to the warmth of their houses for the blizzard but he has nowhere to go. He’ll have to try to find a vent that’s releasing warm air to crouch next to. Maybe if he’s lucky it’ll be by a dumpster that will block the wind, too. 

The snow starts to blow but there’s still a few people out and so Hyun keeps singing, even though he can’t feel his fingers or toes anymore. The air is starting to dip in temperature drastically and it feels like his throat freezes with every breath he takes but still he perseveres, determined to be able to get at least  _ one _ thing to eat today. He doesn’t notice the person watching him from across the street, blond hair sticking out from under a black stocking hat with brows furrowed in concern. If Hyun looked he  _ might _ be able to make out their face but it wouldn’t mean more to him than a sharp sense of deja vu he wouldn’t be able to place. 

Minutes pass by and he realizes he’s not sure how long it’s been since he last saw someone. A loud growl comes from his stomach and he bites his lip, looking down in disappointment. It’s been three days since he last had more than a slice of bread someone tossed out for the birds. He’s cold, hungry and maybe starting to regret his decision. Why did he think he could do this? He’s just a kid. Maybe his parents were right, and this was a bad idea…

The storm is in full swing now, the wind howling and strong enough to push Hyun back a few steps until he steadies himself. Shit. The snow is thick and it’s hard to see where he’s going, but he swings an arm over his eyes and squints ahead, making his way into the closest alley. He waited too long, there’s no way he can search out that warm vent now, but he has no choice other than to seek shelter of some sort from the wind. God, he’s probably going to die out here of hypothermia at this rate. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Tears prick the edge of his eyes as he trudges forward, unaware of the man with the black stocking hat following him. If he lives through this he’s going to go back to his parents, beg them to take him back in. He’ll do whatever they ask, even if it means no longer pursuing his dream. It doesn’t matter, his happiness doesn’t matter, not in the long run. What matters is that he  _ lives _ to even be able to hope for it. 

Snow piles up quickly, the wind causing it constantly shift and drift to new places. Hyun’s not sure how much longer he’ll make it. His eyelids feel heavy and he’s moving slower than before, his energy dipping at an alarming rate. Did he just pass that sign? It’s hard to see, the neon barely permeating the thick sheets of snow but it seems familiar. Is he going in circles? It’s hard to tell. 

“Maybe just a little nap,” he hears himself murmur as he tumbles to the ground, curling in on himself. Just long enough to regain some of his energy, then he’ll get back up and find a place for the night. It’s not long before he loses consciousness completely, consumed by the cold and hunger making his body weak despite its ability to heal quickly. Humans are only capable of so much, even ones with impossibly fast healing have limits. 

 

-oOo-

 

The first thing Hyun registers is warmth when he starts to awaken. The crackling and popping of flames alerts him to a fire and for a brief moment he’s worried one of the buildings near him caught fire but no, that wouldn’t explain the blanket he feels cocooned around him. With a yawn, he dares to crack open one eye, gazing up at a high ceiling with a large skylight covered in white. Ah, yes, snow. The blizzard.

Wait.

Shooting up into a sitting position, Hyun looks around him in both confusion and slight panic, taking in the empty beige walls, the dark wooden dresser, the fireplace. There’s a mattress beneath him and several large blankets piled on top and he appears to be dressed in some sort of flannel pajamas. Someone brought him here and changed his clothes. Maybe he should feel relieved that he’s not out in the cold but instead he’s trepidatious, scared. He’s only 15 and he knows how good-looking he is; what if this is the home of someone who runs a sex-trafficking circle? Images of himself being paraded around in front of others in some foreign country as nothing more than property force their way into his mind and he shudders, frightened. 

Tugging his shoulder length hair as his anxiety skyrockets, Hyun scoots over to the side of the too-large bed and swings his legs over the edge, surprised to find a pair of slippers waiting for him. Does he dare…?

Well, in for a penny, in for a pound.

Slipping his feet in the impossibly soft shoes, he stands and pads over to the window, peeking outside. The blizzard appears to still be going and he’s unable to see anything other than endless amounts of snow being tossed about by the wind. So regardless of what he finds out, he’s stuck here for a little longer. 

Busying himself with looking around, Hyun spends some time opening every door he finds (a closet, a bathroom,  _ another _ closet) and staring at the one picture in the room, a large oil painting of a shooting star. It’s beautiful and it looks to be  _ very _ old. It fills him with a sort of longing, as though it reminds him of something he lost a long time ago. Weird. Shaking his head to try to disperse the unwanted emotion, he pads over to the door, hesitating at the handle. Does he dare to leave this room?

Well, Hyun’s never one for sitting back and waiting for the world to come at him. Sucking in a deep breath and squaring his shoulders, he pulls the door in, stepping softly into the hallway. It’s quiet, the only sound that of another fire burning down a curved set of stairs. Hyun walks up to the railing overlooking the entryway, lips parting in awe as his eyes travel over the chandelier, designed to look like a cluster of stars. Not a design he would’ve ever thought of but the way it’s put together is breathtaking. It’s likely gorgeous when lit.

Whoever lives here really likes stars, huh.

His stomach growls again and it sounds so much louder in the silence, far more akin to a roar than anything else. At first he thinks that maybe it's just his imagination playing it up because he feels so out of place but then there's the soft scraping of a chair across the floor and a head peeks around the corner on the lower floor, looking around until whoever it is spots Hyun.

“You're awake!” calls an excited baritone voice, the head disappearing a moment before the entire man walks out to grin up at him from below. His bright red hair is sticking up in all sorts of directions, golden eyes hidden behind an obnoxious pair of brown-and-yellow rimmed glasses. “It’s about time, thought maybe you were gonna bite it. Oi, Saeran, he’s awake!” 

Hyun cringes at how the man’s voice echoes around the house, seeming to bounce off of every available surface as loud as humanly possible. It doesn’t take much to gather that everything about this guy isloud; his hair, his voice, even his wardrobe, the bright red shirt a stark contrast to black-and-yellow jacket he's wearing. The only subtle things about him are his jeans and the cross he wears around his neck. 

Raising a shaky hand, Hyun swears that he only blinks in the timespan it takes for the man to dash up the stairs to his side, that lopsided grin even brighter up close. Leaning over, he peers at Hyun closely, eyes narrowed as he scans over his face. “O-m-g, it’s actually you!” A hand flies out to grab firmly onto Hyun’s wrist and Hyun barely has a chance to process it before he’s being dragged down those steps by someone at least five years older than him who’s bouncing like an overly excited six-year-old. 

“I bet you’re hungry~” the man sings, tossing a wink back over his shoulder to a flustered Hyun. “Don’t you worry, we have the kitchen fully stocked with all sorts of goodies for a little human like you!” 

Because that’s not ominous sounding at all. Hyun attempts to pull out of the man’s grasp but fails, anxiety increasing as they take the turn at the bottom of the stairs that leads toward the room he’d come from. “Saeran~ Here comes your  _ best friend~!” _

“Shut up, idiot.” This voice is naturally pitched a little higher but has far less energy about it, leaving Hyun to wonder what the owner is like. Is this it? Is this the moment he’s to find out his fate? He squeezes his eyes shut as they pass through the door, too scared to look at the person he assumes is the boss of whatever is going on here.

Only to blink them open in surprise when he receives a gentle whack to the back of his head. “You can look, it’s not like he’s medusa, dork,” says the man behind him, rolling his eyes and releasing his wrist. Hyun rubs it, surprised at how sore it feels after that relatively short trip. The action causes the man’s eyes to widen in guilt and he frowns, tugging on the cord of the headphones hanging around his neck. “Oh shit, did I hurt you? I didn’t mean to. I get overexcited at times, sorry.”

A derisive snort pulls Hyun’s attention to the other occupant of the room and he does a double-take at the near mirror image of the man to his side sitting in front of him. “Yeah. Like a stupid little puppy.” With white hair instead of red and green eyes as opposed to gold, the man sitting at the table has his arms crossed and a rather unamused look on his face. Those are the  _ only _ two differences that Hyun could spot between them, though. Otherwise they look like…

“Are you brothers?” he blurts out before he can stop himself, slapping a hand across his mouth instantly as his eyes flicker from one to the other in fear.

“Stop looking like you’re gonna piss your pants. We’re not gonna eat you or anything,” grumbles the man at the table, rolling his eyes. “Fucking humans, scared of everything…”

“A-hem.” Hyun’s eyes snap back over to the man next to him, watching as he shakes his head once at the other man - Saeran? - before smiling at Hyun once more. “What Saeran means to say is… yes, we’re brothers! Twins, actually, although  _ someone _ had to go and make himself look different and spoil the run.”

“You try being your own brother, see how much fun it is to be mistaken for you.” Wow, okay, so Saeran is grumpy. Hyun files that information away in case it comes in handy later.

A dramatic gasp comes from the other, his hand thumping hard over his chest. “How dare! I am an  _ amazing _ older brother and you know it! Anyone else would be overjoyed to have me as their sibling!”

“Then let them have you,” Saeran grunts, standing up from the table. He spares Hyun an assessing glance before shoving his hands in his athletic pants and turning toward the door. “Feed him and try not to make him want to gouge his ears out, okay?” And then he’s gone.

Hyun stares at the doorway, confusion mixing with his fear. What was the point of that banter? Are they going to try to gain his trust before they do whatever it is they plan to do with him? Sell him? Kill him? ...eat him?

And why do they keep calling him a human, anyway?

“Sorry about him. He’s just a grumpy guy,” Saeran’s brother states, frowning for a brief second before brightening up and strolling over to the fridge to throw it wide open. “Anyway! Like I was saying, we have basically anything you could want to eat here. Food is one of the greatest blessings in life, no?  _ Especially _ the magnificent Honey Buddha Chips, yum~” Pivoting to face Hyun, he holds up a finger and shakes it playfully. “But if you want those, you’ll have to ask moi. They’re specifically mine, I earned them and I only share when asked.”

“Um, okay,” Hyun says slowly, starting to wonder if maybe he’d completely misjudged the situation and if he has, in fact, been taken in by an idiot, like Saeran said. “But uh, what can I call-”

“Of course, we’re also fully stocked on ice cream, but if you want to go down that avenue let me know what kind you want and I’ll go buy some. The last thing you want to do is touch Saeran’s, he’s a bear if you eat any of his.” The man shivers in faux fear, shutting the fridge door and skipping over to the cabinets. “We have noodles, canned goods, uh… some sort of cereal…”

“Excuse me, sir,” Hyun interrupts, getting the feeling that if he wants to get two words in he’ll have to take control, “but who are you? And why am I here?”

A shocked look is leveled his way before the man bursts into raucous laughter, slapping at his thigh. “Woops, got ahead of myself, didn’t I?” he says in good humor, turning back around to face Hyun fully. “I am the Defender of Justice Seven-Zero-Seven, God Seven, magnificent and here to save the day!” Taking a ridiculously dramatic bow, he straightens up only to wave his arms around as though he’s in front of a large audience, even going as far as to throw kisses at the imaginary crowd. “But you can just call me Seven,” he finally says, propping his hands on the counter and jumping up to sit on it. “And what should I call you?”

“Um, my name is Hyun,” Hyun answers, playing with the hair that dangles in front of his ear nervously. “Hyun Ryu, sir.”

“Nice to officially meet you, Hyun!” Seven says with that wide grin that Hyun’s starting to think is a common occurrence on his face. “To answer your second question, the owner of this house found you freezing to death in the snow and brought you back here.” The air suddenly becomes somber as Seven sobers, gazing at him seriously. “He said you had a pretty severe case of hypothermia. You’re lucky he was looking for you.”

“Looking… for me?” Just when Hyun had been starting to think maybe he was just lucky, Seven has to go and say something that makes him tense up again. “Wh-why was he looking for me?”

Waving a hand in the air dismissively, Seven turns around and opens the cupboard beside him casually to grab out two bags of chips, tossing one to Hyun. He catches it without a problem, looking down at it dubiously before raising his eyes back to see Seven already mowing down on his own. “It’s not poisoned, I promise,” Seven says through a mouth full of chips. “Just thought you might like something to tide you over while you’re asking all these questions.” He waits until Hyun pops open the bag to continue. “Anyway, that’s a long and complicated story that would be better coming from him than me. Suffice it to say that he just wants you to be happy and safe and so is extending you an offer to live here, if you want. He’ll fund your schooling and make sure you’re well taken care of. Well, technically that last part is up to Saeran and Jaehee since he’s never really around at the moment but you know what I mean.”

“Jaehee?” Latching onto the unfamiliar name, Hyun carefully bites into a chip, his head spinning. Once his taste buds register just how  _ good _ the flavor of the snack he’s eating actually is (plus, it’s  _ food _ and he’s  _ starving) _ he starts shoving them into his mouth by the handful, causing Seven to laugh loudly again.

“Whoa, slow down, kid, or they’ll be gone before you know it,” he cackles. “Yeah, Jaehee is in charge of the house finances and making sure everything’s in order. She’ll be the one to actually, like, make arrangements for you to go to class and stuff.” Taking another bite of the chips himself, Seven looks at Hyun thoughtfully. “She’s a little formal and kinda scary, but really nice, so I’m sure she’ll make sure you approve of her plans.”

A place to live, a chance to go back to school… no more living off of scraps… this all sounds too good to be true. Is it? “What’s the catch?” Hyun asks suspiciously. “Do I have to do something to earn my keep?”

Seven snorts loudly. “What, like sleep with someone? Nah, man, you’re good to just chill here. That’s not how things work around here. We’re all just people he’s wanted to help at one point or another, you know.” Motioning at Hyun, Seven cocks his head to the side with a look Hyun can’t quite place. “It’s just your turn now. So… do you accept or not?”

Hyun hesitates. Despite Seven being upfront and directly answering all of his questions, the whole ordeal still feels shrouded in mystery. Yet there’s something vaguely familiar and comforting about it all; this place, these people… Why does he feel like this is where he’s been headed all along? “...okay, yeah. I’ll stay,” he finally answers slowly, nodding at Seven.

Seven pumps his fist in victory, giving a loud  _ whoop! _ that bounces through the room and brings a nervous smile to Hyun’s face. The excitement is contagious, but he has one more question to ask right now that’s been poking at him since Seven brought it up… “What’s the name of the man who rescued me?”

“Ah, that would be my best friend and the greatest person you’ll ever meet!” It’s impossible to miss the way Seven’s face lights up when he talks about him, the grin becoming somehow wider yet softer. “His name is Yoosung Kim, and I know he’s looking forward to meeting you!”

“Yoosung,” Hyun murmurs, tasting the name on his tongue. Just speaking it sends some sort of thrill through him that he can’t place, leaving him even more confused and curious. A loud growl interrupts his thoughts and he looks down at his stomach sheepishly. “Um. So you said there’s food…?”

Eyes gleaming, Seven drops down from the counter and beckons Hyun to follow him. “Now you’re talking. Let me show you the wonders of this kitchen.”

 

-oOo-

 

Time passes quickly in that house, Hyun’s fears fading away within the first few weeks. Seven and Saeran are nice - well, as nice as their temperaments allow - and he settles into a happy routine. True to Seven’s word, he meets Jaehee in that first week and she sets him up at the school in their district as well as giving him an allowance to spend on whatever he need or wants. 

“This does include your clothing as well, Hyun, so make sure you have the things you need before you buy the things you want,” she warns, handing him the card with a preset limit on it. “If I’m not wrong, Saeran passes his time experimenting in the kitchen so he’ll likely have things you can take for lunch if you’d like, as well.” 

“Thank you, Miss Kang,” Hyun says with a bow, already well aware of how to stretch his won from his time spent hungry on the streets. Downright shocked with the amount that’s being given for a monthly stipend, Hyun’s already making plans on buying a winter coat before anything else. It’ll feel marvelously freeing to be able to buy clothing of his own taste for the first time in his life without his parents breathing over his shoulder, disapproving of everything he even thinks about.

Jaehee coughs, a small bit of pink tinging her cheeks. “Um. You’re welcome, but it’s not necessary to call me that. Just Jaehee is fine.” 

She checks in about once a month, showing up to any school-related events where a parent is needed. Hyun’s unsure how the legality of it all works, but when he brings it up to Seven, Seven cracks up. 

“Don’t worry about any of that stuff. You’re  _ completely _ taken care of,” he says, legs kicking as he sits on the railing at the top of the stairs without a care in the world. Hyun flinches whenever Seven looks like he’s about to tip forward and fall down, face stuck in a constant cringe. “I doubt there’s a thing you could ask for that we wouldn’t be able to provide in some fashion. We’re pretty thrifty~ Plus we have connections in government with Jumin. You haven't met him yet, but he'll show up eventually and-”

The front door opens to emit Saeran, slouching with his hands in his pockets, black beanie covering his white hair and wearing an old leather jacket Hyun’s been coveting ever since he first saw it. “Oi! Saeran!” Seven calls, throwing an enthusiastic hand up in the air and pitching his body forward, falling to the floor below. 

Hyun shouts, throwing himself at the railing and gripping it in fear, eyes wide as he searches the ground frantically for Seven, praying that he just has a broken leg or something easily repaired as opposed to… the alternative. But there’s nothing there…?

A thump and the subsequent groan that can only be Saeran’s catches Hyun’s attention. “Get off me, idiot. Can’t you see you’ve scared him half to death?” 

“Shit....” 

Before Hyun has a chance to even fully look up at Saeran, Seven’s by his side once more, hands on his shoulders. “Sorry ‘bout that, I’m okay, see?” With a grin and a little dance, Seven proves that all of his limbs are in working order, not a scratch in sight despite the fall he took. 

“But you…” Trailing off, Hyun glances back over the balcony but the only thing his eyes land upon is Saeran, watching him with a mixture of concern and curiosity. The fact that both of them seem so nonchalant about the entire ordeal throws him off and he’s not sure how to respond, so he clams up and smiles weakly at Seven. “Okay, yeah, good.”

That’s the first time Hyun begins to suspect there’s something funny about the twins.

 

-oOo-

 

A little over a year is gone before Hyun finally meets the owner of the house. He’s learned by now that Seven disappears on ‘secret missions’ for anywhere from 2-6 weeks at a time while Saeran holds two extremely part-time jobs, one at a flower shop and one at an art supplies store. Neither of them seem to sleep much and are never worse for the wear; Hyun’s used to having his own amazing health but if he swears these two are even  _ more _ healthy than him. Considering how Seven survives off of Ph.D. Pepper and Honey Buddha Chips while Saeran’s diet is largely composed of ice cream, it shouldn’t be possible. But neither of them ever get sick, they never seem tired and they have amazing athletic capabilities even though he never sees them working out. 

Hyun wonders if it has something to do with the one day a month they’re both completely AWOL; phones off and nowhere to be found. Despite overwhelming curiosity, he can’t bring himself to ask. Any time he considers it, a quiet alarm bell rings in the back of his mind and spooks him just enough to not look into it anymore. By now he’s learned to trust his instincts about most anything, so when the dream happens, he’s even more creeped out than normal.

It’s not one of the ones he’s started to label as ‘psychic’ but even so, there’s something about it that rings a truth he can’t quite disregard. There’s the twins and the dark-haired man he’s only met twice when he stayed at the house for a few weeks but who really ruffles his feathers - Jumin - as well as a blond man that looks vaguely familiar and a blonde woman. They’re all together in a large room that Hyun just innately  _ knows _ is at one of the companies Jumin owns, but the room is… weird. It’s windowless and the singular door doesn’t appear to have a handle on the inside. He watches, suspended above, as they all bite into what looks like blood bags - the exception being Jumin, who of course pours his own into a wine glass, the pretentious jerk - and slurp the red liquid down in the span of three heartbeats. That’s weird enough that Hyun likely could’ve just written it off as some leftover thought from the latest horror movie he watched with Saeran.

It’s what happens next that leaves him shaken.

Before his eyes, all five transform into monsters. Not in the sense of halloween classical movie monsters or the type you scare children with, but more like humans gone  _ insane. _ Their eyes go dark, pupils dilated to the point the iris is barely visible, faces twisting into a permanent snarl as they start tearing into each other. Luciel and Saeran stand their ground against the two blondes, Jumin seeming to be standing back and strategizing by himself. When the fight starts no one holds back, bodies slamming against the walls and on the floor. Serious wounds are inflicted but it doesn’t take them long to get back up and start fighting again, almost as though they could heal from broken bones and deep gashes within a matter of minutes. Right before it ends, the blond man turns to look Hyun straight in the eye and he wakes in a cold sweat, goosebumps running up and down his arms. 

Dressed in only his sleep pants, Hyun makes his way downstairs once he splashes cool water on his face and calms down, the smell of breakfast wafting up and making his stomach grumble. Jaehee hadn’t been kidding when she had mentioned Saeran tended to spend a lot of time experimenting in the kitchen; it’s one of the ways he passes his free time, the other big thing being engaging in some sort of art. Thus his cooking is the best Hyun’s ever tasted and he looks forward to sitting at the table with him in the morning, engaging in their friendly banter over whatever masterpiece Saeran’s made. 

The sound of conversation greets him and he grins, speeding up toward the bottom of the stairs. Luciel’s familiar laugh drifts out as he teases Saeran, no doubt frustrating his brother even though he’s likely only been back a mere matter of hours.

It’s the  _ unfamiliar _ voice that gives him pause and he slows down, walking cautiously into the kitchen and wondering if he should’ve put on a shirt today. When the purple eyes he’d just seen in his dreams swing over to meet him, one hand reaching up to swipe back blond hair, Hyun screeches to a halt. 

“You…” he breathes in disbelief, unaware of anyone else in that moment as the man tips his head to the side and beams brightly at him. It’s a dazzling smile, full of warmth and innocence, one that pulls him in instantly in a manner no one else’s ever has. In that moment, he forgets about his dream.

“Hi!” The man speaks, seemingly unconcerned with how disturbed Hyun had been only seconds before. He strolls over to Hyun and offers a hand. “I'm Yoosung. We haven't met before, but it sounds like you've been enjoying your stay here?”

It takes a few seconds for Hyun to drag his brain forward, to turn his focus from the way those lips look when speaking to the words actually coming from them. Exhaling hard, he reaches out and takes the hand, absolutely  _ not  _ fixating on the way it feels in his own, cooler than he’d expect but soft, kind. He’s not sure how hands feel kind, but the thought passes through his mind and yeah, he has to agree with it. Yoosung has kind hands.

“Yeah, I have. You’re the guy who rescued me, right?” he asks, putting on what he thinks is a charming smile. It seems to work on the girls at school, at any rate, so hopefully it’s good for use here, too.

Yoosung’s grin increases in wattage, bright enough to nearly blind Hyun now. “That’s me! Hope it didn’t seem creepy that I found you, I was following you - or, er, I saw you singing and was enjoying it, but then you didn’t look like you had a home to go to? Plus you looked in bad shape, so I was just… making sure… you were okay....” Furrowing his brows, Yoosung withdraws his hand and frowns, looking intensely frustrated with himself. “Hundreds of years of practice and I still can’t talk to you…”

 

The last analogy seems a little weird and Hyun’s not sure what makes him so special that he’d be hard to talk to, but despite that, he’s utterly charmed by this man. Laughing in delight, Hyun shakes his head. “Regardless of the reason you found me, I’m in your debt. I’d probably be dead by now if you hadn’t. Although I must admit curiosity; I had hypothermia and you cured me in less than a night?”

Waving a hand in dismissal, Yoosung giggles -  _ giggles, _ be still Hyun’s leaping heart - and gestures for Hyun to sit at the table, where a large meal is already laid out for him. Hyun notes with interest that the twins are sitting on the same side of the table, meaning he’s sitting next to Yoosung and his stomach swoops. “I possess a certain, er,  _ talent _ for curing difficult illnesses. Though you didn’t really need a lot of help once I got you into the warmth, honestly. You have a pretty amazing immune system yourself.”

A burst of electricity starts in his stomach and works it way out to his limbs, leaving everywhere tingling from the compliment that normally doesn’t mean anything. These feelings are a little confusing but it’s obvious there’s something about Yoosung he finds deeply intriguing. Later he’ll have to revisit this moment and examine his feelings to see if it’s just excitement to meet his savior or something else.

Taking his seat, Hyun scoots up to the table and smiles at Seven. “Glad to see you’re back safely,” he says, mouth already watering at the full-spread on the table. Today Saeran must’ve felt like doing an American breakfast, for there were plates full of pancakes, sausage, bacon, and scrambled eggs to choose from. Hyun starts to help himself to a pancake eagerly.

“I always come back safely,” Seven responds with a lopsided grin, prodding at Hyun’s wrist as he grabs the bowl of scrambled eggs to scoop some onto his own plate. “You should know that by now. Nothing can stop me~”

“Not even an insanely large fall,” Hyun murmurs, hand stalling a moment as the memory surfaces. “You should’ve at least had a sprained ankle or  _ something.” _

“What happened?” comes the concerned voice of Yoosung, and when Hyun glances at him he sees that he’s gazing at the twins with a mixture of worry and mild irritation. Setting the bowl of eggs back down, Hyun spears a few sausage links with the fork and and drops them on his plate. 

Saeran snickers, tossing a look at Seven that hints he’s in trouble. “Idiot here decided it would be a good idea to jump off the railing at the top of the stairs when I got home from work one day. Freaked Hyun right the fuck out. Should’ve seen his face; pale as a ghost. Thought I was gonna have to catch him when he toppled over himself.” 

Hyun pauses, syrup pouring out of the container he’s holding freely onto his pancakes without him sparing it a lick of attention. Had he really looked  _ that _ terrified? It probably shouldn’t come as a surprise, since he had been scared out of his mind that Seven was seriously hurt or dead, but for some reason he hadn’t considered how that looked to other people. If he wants to be an actor one day, he needed to learn to get a better grip on his emotions. 

A gentle hand reaches over and tips the bottle up, startling Hyun out of his thoughts. Glancing up, he sees Yoosung smirking at him as he removes the syrup from Hyun’s hand. “Think you have enough, love,” he says softly, motioning at the plate. Hyun’s almost so caught up in the petname that he doesn’t look but twin snorts from across the table followed by Seven’s laughter jolt him back again. Damn. His plate is  _ completely _ filled with the sticky substance, coating not only his pancakes but the eggs and sausage too. Pretending it was on purpose, he quickly scoops up a bite of eggs and shoves it in his mouth. Okay, that’s actually not bad. Maybe he’ll have syrup on his eggs more often.

“Is that true, Seven?” Yoosung’s voice is still soft but it doesn’t contain the same fondness Hyun  _ swears _ he just heard directed at him. What does that mean?

A loud, long-suffering sigh is heard from across the table. “I was just so excited to see my baby brotherrrrrrr,” Seven whines in the most nasally voice possible. “It had been  _ ages _ since I’d seen him and I forgot that he didn’t know yet.” 

_ Didn’t know what? _ Hyun’s eyebrows knit together and he looks up at Seven from underneath his bangs, taking in the pout and guilt on his face. He sets his fork down and sits up straight, suddenly incredibly wary. It’s not news - he’s known something wasn’t quite right for a while now - but the confirmation that they’ve been hiding something from him causes him to lose his appetite completely. “What don’t I know?”

The silence that greets him is deafening, both the twins avoiding his gaze intently. The only one willing to make eye contact is Yoosung and Hyun’s surprised to see fear there. Their reactions are hardly encouraging, but Hyun’s not one to back down easily, so he pushes forward. “Tell me,” he orders, narrowing his eyes at Yoosung. “Tell me, Yoosung.”

A visible shiver travels through Yoosung, his eyes widening briefly before he runs a shaky hand through his hair and laughs. “Ahah… it’s not so easy, Hyun. The situation is complicated and you probably won’t believe us…”

“Tell me anyway.”

Yoosung exhales heavily, then glances to the twins. “Okay. Long story short, they’re vampires.”

A thousand emotions rear their heads inside of Hyun and his eyes flick between Yoosung, Saeran and Seven countless times, looking for some sign of a joke. His birthday is coming up soon, is this just an early prank? Surely that’s all it is. Vampires aren’t real.

“Vampires,” he parrots. “Look, I know I’m young but I’m not stupid, okay? There’s no way that’s the truth so quit messing with me, okay?” Even as he says it, the words don’t sit quite right in the back of his mind. The way Seven can move across the room in the blink of an eye, how he fell but didn’t get hurt… No. Hyun shakes his head; he can’t actually be thinking of believing this, can he?

“It is,” Yoosung insists, turning in his chair to face Hyun properly and leaning forward slightly. “And I know you know it. Have you started having the dreams yet?”

Hyun’s heart slams in his chest once before it feels like it stops completely and he sits frozen, a cold sweat starting to break out over him. How could Yoosung know about his dream? That’s impossible, he hasn’t even had the chance to mention it to anyone, nor had he really tried to analyze what the monsters in the dream were. His friends, sure, but what else? 

But the blood they were drinking, the way they turned into demons when fighting each other… he recalls the way Saeran had brutally bit Jumin and left what should have been a devastating wound on his arm, deep in the way human teeth shouldn’t be able to. 

“But you go out in the daylight,” he argues, deflating as his mind starts to second-guess itself rapidly. Dredging up any and all vampire lore he knows from the pits of his mind, he starts flipping through it at a quick pace. “And Saeran cooks with garlic, and Seven wears a cross?”

Seven titters, slapping a hand on the table that makes Hyun jump, swinging alarmed eyes over to him. “Y-yeah, we can’t be vampires, see?” Grabbing the cross, he presses it against his lips and grins wickedly, the way he does when he’s pulling a particularly cruel joke. “God forbid vampires believe in an afterlife of any sort.”

“Shut the fuck up, you’re not helping.” Saeran shoves Seven hard enough he almost falls out of his chair, still tittering. “God. No, those are just theories people have, but they don’t mean shit. We don’t have stupid weaknesses like that. It would be fucking ridiculous to burst into flame if we walked out in the sun.”

“It does weaken us a little, though,” Yoosung cuts in thoughtfully, tapping his chin. “And we are naturally incredibly pale so it can give us one hell of a sunburn.”

“Good thing we can heal like the super humans we are, then!” Seven adds, standing up and striking a Superman pose. 

“Yeah, true, but it’ll hurt like hell before it does heal. Anyway. No, none of that is true.” Yoosung smiles at Hyun, no doubt trying to inject some calm back into the situation. “What  _ is _ true is that we are built to be predators, with great speed, strength and, as Seven pointed out, amazing healing abilities. Nature also thought it would be funny to throw in that our blood can heal other’s illnesses - like your own - as long as it’s caught early enough. We can’t cure cancer in its final stages, or any mental illnesses. But it’s also like a drug to humans - addictive and dangerous. So we don’t typically help out much.”

Which is in theory how they helped him heal. Hyun’s head is spinning, trying to process all of this new information and determine if they’re just shitting him or not. Vampires? If he indulges them for a moment, plays into this, this  _ fantasy,  _ then that would also mean…

“Do you drink human blood?” he whispers, voice so quiet it’s barely audible. 

The three of them exchange a look. Saeran goes back to poking at the food on his plate and Seven busies himself with his phone while Yoosung sighs and runs his hand through his hair once more. 

“Yes, we do,” he begins, “but! Only once a month, and  _ only _ in a safe room where we won’t hurt anyone else.”

And that’s quite enough of that. Feeling his face drain of blood, Hyun pushes his chair back and turns, exiting the kitchen without another word. There’s a shout from Seven as he heads toward the stairs, intent on changing into his jogging clothes and going for a run to attempt to clear his head, but he hears Yoosung stop him from being chased. On top of everything else, Yoosung seems like he just  _ knows _ what Hyun needs and that on its own would be disconcerting enough. He feels incredibly overwhelmed.

Hopefully a run will help.

 

-oOo-

 

It’s several hours later when Hyun returns, sweaty and exhausted, his mind less muddled than before but still confused. The only thing he’s settled on is that there is an undeniable stack of evidence pointing to the fact that the twins, at least, are  _ not normal. _ Whether that means they’re vampires or not is still up in the air. 

Being fond of fairy tales and mythological creatures in general, there’s a small part of him that hopes it’s true if for no other reason than to bring some magic to the mundaneness of his life. While he hasn’t read a lot of the popular books involving teenagers and vampires - he held absolutely no interest in the ‘Nightfall’ series the girls fawned over - he understands why the concept in itself is intriguing. Still, that doesn’t explain how there could be vampires living in this world without anyone truly knowing.

Are they all so…  _ normal?  _ That is, do they all manage to fit in in the communities they settle in? Do they have to uproot themselves every so often because they don’t age? That’s a pretty sad life, if so.

Perhaps that’s one of the reasons this house is hidden in the country. Less people to pry.

He pauses in front of the grand doors, gazing at them in trepidation. Dare he enter? This is his  _ home _ , the place he’s lived for the past year and a half and it’s not like he has anywhere else to go. Nor does he truly want to leave; Seven and Saeran are the best friends he’s ever had and he’s loathe to lose that connection. Whether or not this is true, whether or not it’s an elaborate prank or if his new family is, in fact, blood-sucking ‘monsters’, he’s not going anywhere. 

Carding a hand through sweat-soaked hair, Hyun sucks in a deep breath and opens them, slipping inside as quietly as he can. It’s completely silent in the house, for better or worse. Hyun latches the doors behind him and then treads wearily up the stairs, looking forward to taking a warm shower and then collapsing on his bed. Exercise is something he’d picked up since living here, an offhanded piece of advice from Saeran when Hyun shared that he wants to become a famous musical actor someday. If he gets into the habit now, while his life is still relatively slow-paced, it’ll be easier to continue when everything gets busier. Running is something he found comes naturally to him, but when he has something on his mind, he has a tendency to push himself a little too far. Which is  _ precisely _ what happened today, so he feels wiped out, ready for a nap. One of these days he needs to get a better handle on his limits before he hurts himself.

His hand twitches at his side as it occurs to him that if what Yoosung said is true, he may not need to worry about injuries at all, ever again. Hyun’s always been aware of how lucky he is to be able to heal so fast, but to have access to something even better? That’s insane. 

A piece of paper greets him when he steps into his room, the breeze from the door causing it flutter from its perch on the bedside table to the floor. Furrowing his brows, Hyun picks it up and is surprised to find it’s from Yoosung. His handwriting is messy, but not illegible. It’s actually sort of cute, especially where he scribbled out some words.

> _Hi! Hope I didn’t freak you out too much. Took the twins and went out for a while to give you some time to process. You’re free to ask us anything you want about anything, we’ll give you the answers we have. I know it’s probably_ _difficult_ _scary_ _weird_ _hard to believe that you’re living with a pair of vampires, but really, all the legends about us are wrong._
> 
> _ Anyway, I’ll be hanging around for a while and I hope you’ll let me get to know you better. I’ve heard a lot of cool things about you from Seven and even Saeran had something nice to say. Did you bribe him or something? Just kidding lol.  _
> 
> ~~_ Lo _ ~~ _ Regards, _
> 
> _ Yoosung _

Hyun squints at the dark scribble right before regards, wondering what Yoosung had started to write that he was so desperate to hide. No matter how hard he stares, though, the black ink doesn’t give up its secret, so he ends up tossing it back on the table. For now his muscles are aching and screaming for some sort of comfort. The least he can do is oblige them after such a strenuous workout.

 

-oOo-

 

Life settles back into normality, more or less, after that. Hyun doesn’t bring up the vampire issue and no one pushes it with him, but he does notice Seven and Saeran seem more relaxed around him. Looser. Suddenly it’s not uncommon to see Seven running around at high speeds as though he’s always late somewhere (Saeran says it’s just laziness, but Hyun doesn’t really understand how that makes sense) and Saeran’s culinary skills seem to increase drastically as he makes things quicker than before. 

The biggest indicator that maybe, just maybe they were telling the truth comes on the eve of a large summer storm. Hyun’s sitting in his room, strumming his guitar and singing a popular song softly, ignoring the loud thunder even as it shakes the walls of the house at times. There’s a soft knock on his door so he pauses, glancing at it curiously as he calls for whoever it is to enter.

The door cracks open and a blond head of hair pops in, the bright smile hitting Hyun like a freight train and knocking the breath out of him. “Mind if I listen?” Yoosung asks kindly, as though Hyun has the ability to tell him no. Nodding, he beckons Yoosung over to sit on the bed next to him, taking a quick swig from his water bottle to wet his suddenly dry mouth. Nerves burn against the normal confidence he feels about his skills and for the briefest of moments, Hyun considers backing out. But no, he wants to be on the stage one day and if he can’t play in front of Yoosung, then he won’t be able to stand in front of a live audience. He draws in a breath and starts to move his fingers gently across the strings, lovingly, like one might caress a lover. This time he goes for something he’s more familiar with, an acoustic version of a song from one of his favorite musicals.

 

_ Night time sharpens / Heightens each sensation _

_ Darkness stirs and wakes / Imagination  _

_ Silently the senses / Abandon their defenses _

 

_ Slowly, gently / Night unfurls its splendor _

_ Grasp it, sense it / Tremulous and tender _

_ Turn your face away / From the garish light of day. _

_ Turn your thoughts away / From cold, unfeeling light, _

_ And listen to the music of the night. _

 

It doesn’t take much to get lost in what he’s doing, the music sweeping through Hyun and pulling him to his own little world. Imagination taking flight, he can picture himself on the stage, mask in place as he shows Christine around his lair. Hyun aims to play the Monster himself, craving the drama and depth the role provides. He can see the lights, the costumes, the decoration of the set… and it’s exquisite. One day he will achieve his goal, of this he has no doubt.

Of course, every director is different but he’s already memorized the dances from both the movie adaption and the DVD he found of an older production. Maybe it’s pretentious, maybe he’s reaching too far or allowing himself to dream too much but Hyun doesn’t care; acting is what he’s made for, acting and dazzling crowds with his enchanting singing voice. 

The loud crack of lightning followed instantly by a loud noise - almost like a bomb going off - shakes the entirety of the house and jolts Hyun from his music-induced trance, grip tightening on the guitar. Yoosung’s brows furrow and in a flash he’s over to the window, peering outside. “Holy sh…” he starts, turning back to Hyun with wide eyes. “Sorry, be right back!”

Hyun has no time to respond before Yoosung’s gone from the room, shouting loudly at both of the twins to join him  _ pronto. _ Barely a second later the front door is slammed open and Hyun drops the guitar on the bed, running out into the hall to see what’s going on. The door still hangs wide open, the storm raging outside. Maybe the wind blew it open? One more glance around shows no one in sight, so Hyun descends the stairs quickly, aiming to shut it before more rain pours inside. 

As he draws nearer to it, he can barely make out the sound of shouting over the wind and torrential downpour.  _ What in the world…? _ Hyun hesitates a moment, torn between curiosity and the desire to stay where it’s warm and dry before another mighty roar draws him outside. Instantly regretful that he didn’t have the foresight to grab a jacket, he wraps his arms tightly around his chest and stumbles through the sheets of rain toward the ruckus. 

The yard seems to have turned entirely to mud as Hyun’s feet sink down with each step, the effort to extract them growing as he continues, causing him to wonder briefly if the ground just wants to swallow him up whole. That’s too bad, if that’s the case, because he has a dream of sharing his good looks and amazing talent with the whole of humanity and the earth itself won’t stop him from achieving it. Shivering, he tightens his grip on his arms and makes his way around to the back of the house, skidding to a stop at what he finds waiting for him.

Yoosung, Saeran and Seven are all out there, slowly maneuvering a tree to the ground from where it looks like it landed… on the roof? Hyun shakes his head; no, he  _ has _ to be seeing things, there’s no way the three of them could move something that large on their own. Yet when he looks again, there they still are, one on each end and one in the middle, grunting and groaning as they shift it away from the house. Tearing his eyes away from that sight, he sucks in a breath through his teeth when he sees what happened; the loud sound from moments earlier must’ve been lightning hitting the great oak tree out back and splitting it in two. Half of it crashed down away from the house, heavy enough to take a few smaller trees with it while the other half… Hyun turns his eyes back to the men, then up to the house. Without their intervention, it would’ve crashed through the roof, specifically the roof above his room. 

“What are you doing out here?” 

Hyun starts when he hears a voice shouting at him over the wind. He looks to see Yoosung watching him from beside the tree, then jumps slightly when he’s suddenly standing right next to him and gently taking his arm. “Wha…?” he breathes in confusion.

“You shouldn’t be out here. You’ll get sick!” Yoosung narrows his eyes at Hyun, then shouts, “hold on!”

Opening his mouth to ask what, exactly, he should be holding onto, Hyun gets his answer when he’s suddenly lifted off the ground. His arms automatically wrap around Yoosung’s neck as they speed around to the front of the house at an impossibly fast pace, Yoosung stopping with remarkable accuracy to place him down on the rug inside the door. “Go get changed into dry clothes and warm up,” he instructs firmly before shutting the door and leaving Hyun alone in the house.

That’s the moment Hyun accepts that yeah, these guys are what they say they are, and he goes up to do as Yoosung ordered without further question.

 

-oOo-

 

School starts up again and Hyun finds himself busier than ever, suddenly beset with questions about his future and what university he wants to go to. He’s never put much thought into education beyond high school, always assuming he’ll just work his way up from the bottom of the theatre food chain. It’s surprising when his instructors and both Yoosung and Saeran encourage him to go to a performing arts school instead. After some research, he caves and decides it would be the best, setting his sights on SKY University’s College of Fine Arts. 

That’s when he finds out just how hard school can actually be. 

Waking up at 5 in the morning to get ready, he studies on the way to school where he attends his classes and works as hard as he can. After regular school dismisses, he goes to an after-school study program until around 10 pm when he finally gets to go home. Some of his classmates talk about going to specialty study institutes after that until the wee hours of the morning, but Yoosung refuses to let him attend those.

“If you want to study more, do it here,” he insists, handing Hyun some coffee as he sits across from him at the desk in their library. “I’ve been around long enough to know that those programs push kids too hard. You’ll do fine as long as you work at it with all that you have.”

Hyun laughs, accepting the coffee and happily taking a sip. Yoosung makes  _ really _ good coffee; probably a positive effect of being alive so long. “I’m throwing my all into this. If it’s what you say will help me succeed, then I’ll trust you.”

A light pink dusts the pale of Yoosung’s cheeks and he looks down, smiling at his lap with an expression Hyun can only call fond. He’s been seeing it more and more often and every time it sets his heart aflutter wildly. There’s something about Yoosung that just draws him in like a moth to the flame, leading Hyun to seek out his presence more and more. Perhaps it’s the way that he shines as bright as the stars he was named after, or how kind and gentle he is despite the fact that he’s one of nature’s top predators. Nothing about the man hints at his darker side, and perhaps it’s that conundrum in itself that fascinates Hyun more than anything. A vampire, a creature that has to feed on human blood - even if infrequently - far more caring and patient than the average human Hyun meets? It sounds absurd, yet here is the proof sitting in front of him in a denim jacket with soft blond hair and dreamy eyes.

Wait. Dreamy?

The sip Hyun’s in the middle of taking suddenly burns down his throat and he sputters, pressing a hand to his mouth as he coughs to try to regain the ability to breath normally again. A part of him knows that he shouldn’t be as surprised as he feels; the warning signs have been showing up for a while now. The feeling of butterflies in his stomach, heart racing at the slightest touch, always vying for his attention. Not love, but definitely something romantic. 

Hyun hadn’t ever considered the possibility of being attracted to a man before, nor had he conceived the possibility of ending up with feelings for - what, an immortal being? How old is Yoosung, anyway? That’s got to be one hell of an age gap.

“Are you okay?” Yoosung’s fingers brush against Hyun’s skin to move some hair out of his eyes, setting fire to the nerves there. Hyun shivers underneath it, looking up again to see Yoosung’s face shift from concern to one of dawning comprehension. He quickly pulls his hand back, much to Hyun’s disappointment.

“Fine, just swallowed wrong,” Hyun answers, laughing and waving a hand. 

“Good, well, uh…” Yoosung clears his throat and stands, his smile far more awkward than it had only been moments before. “I'll leave you to study.” Hyun barely has a chance to process his words before he's gone.

An empty chair greets Hyun as he continues to stare where Yoosung had just been, confusion roiling within him. What had that been about? It's like Yoosung knew  _ exactly  _ what he'd been thinking… but vampires can't read minds… can they? He'll have to ask Saeran at some point; Saeran's pretty reliable for fielding any of Hyun’s questions without asking him any in return.

Around midnight he finishes studying, leaning back in his chair and stretching his arms high, sighing in satisfaction when his back clicks. A small rumble in his stomach begs him for a quick snack before bed, so he puts all of his books away and heads across the foyer toward the kitchen. 

A peek in the fridge reveals some of the cheesecake Saeran made for supper and Hyun pulls out a slice happily, holding it in his hand and taking a bite. Humming in enjoyment from the rich flavor, he pads toward the door but freezes when he hears voices approaching. It's Seven and Yoosung. Hyun leans against the counter, fully prepared to take the teasing Seven will no doubt fling his way. Taking another bite, he tips his head to the side and listens as the approach.

“Come on, you're getting too worked up over it. He probably just has a little crush on you. I mean, which of us  _ hasn't?” _ Seven’s tone is unusually serious and Hyun tenses as soon as he realizes the topic of their discussion is  _ him. _

Shit. Glancing around in a panic, Hyun darts toward the only other door, opening it and slipping inside as quietly as he can. Backing up, he keeps moving until he trips over the leg of an easel - and falls right into an amused Saeran's lap.

“Hiding from someone?” Saeran's eyebrows are raised and the sides of his lips quirk up just the tiniest amount in a rare smile that Hyun only sees directed at him and Yoosung.

“Uhh…” Hyun scrambles to stand and holds up hIs cheesecake but doesn't need to explain the rest when the conversation drifts in and Saeran's face shifts into neutral boredom. He turns back to his watercolors, apparently uninterested.

Hyun knows he shouldn't listen. He really, really shouldn't. But they're talking about  _ him... _

“You don't need to  _ leave, _ you just got back after nearly two years of trying to find her. We all miss you. Besides, it gets boring when you're gone for too long.”

A snort. “You're just saying that because you miss playing your stupid pranks on me because Saeran won't fall for them and Hyun’s not as gullible as me.” Gullible? Hyun doesn't think Yoosung is gullible. Then again, he barely knows him and recently he's been too busy to pay any attention to interactions between the two men…

There’s the sound of the fridge opening and some rustling. “He’d better not eat all of my cheesecake,” Saeran grumbles grumpily behind him, smirking when Hyun looks at him in mild panic. “You nerd. You can eat whatever of mine you like, I don’t fucking care. You’re not annoying that that idiot is.”

“Even your ice cream?” Hyun prompts slowly, surprised.

With a groan, Saeran rolls his eyes, but there’s just the slightest nod of his head. “Only you and Yoosung can though, so if you see anyone else laying one finger on it, tell me so I can beat the shit out of them.”

Hyun muffles a laugh with his fist. “Deal.”

The conversation in the kitchen catches his attention again as Yoosung’s voice gets louder and becomes more frustrated. “You  _ know _ I have to do this. Once he falls for someone, he doesn’t back down. Not until he wins or moves on.”

“So?” Seven sounds just as frustrated and Hyun doesn’t miss the belabored sigh from Saeran behind him. “What’s wrong with that? Jesus Christ, Yoosung, you already know how this is going to end so why don’t you just tell him and quit putting it off.”

“Absolutely not. He’s far too young.”

“You said the first time you met him was around this age. What’s the difference?” Hyun’s so lost by now. First time Yoosung met him? Of course it was around this age, it was only a matter of months ago…

“That was a long time ago when I was still young too. Not to mention things were different back then. He’s got so much on his plate right now, I couldn’t possibly ask that of him.”

Saeran grunts and stands suddenly, pushing past Hyun aggressively to yank open the door and stick his head out. “Look, if you’re so fucking concerned about it, why don’t you ask the boy himself about it? He’s right fucking here.” Stepping to the side, Saeran gives an eerily accurate impression of one of Seven’s overdone flourishes, and Hyun trudges forward into view. 

Both of the men pale even more when they see him, scrambling for explanations. A wave of exhaustion hits Hyun and he sighs, shaking his head. “Look, I’m not interested in whatever weird shit you guys are talking about right now. I’m too tired. I’m going to bed.” As he steps around Seven, he pauses and drops the last half of his cheesecake in his hand. “And I’ve suddenly lost my appetite.”

Ignoring them as the twins as they start to squabble, Hyun wearily makes his way to the staircase, pausing slightly when he hears his name called softly from behind him. Sparing Yoosung a glance over his shoulder, Hyun smiles sadly. As usual, Yoosung just seems to inherently know what Hyun means without any words needing to be said and he nods, slipping back into the kitchen without another sound.

And when Hyun wakes in the morning, bright and early to get ready to head to school, he’s already gone.

 

-oOo-

  
  


Christmas comes around with less celebration than Hyun likes, though this year he’s not as surprised as the last. Neither twin seems keen to celebrate it and while Jumin decides to show up for the entire month of December, Hyun has  _ no _ interest in spending it with him. Instead he decorates a tree in his own room, placing the presents he’s been gathering all year for those in his life under it. He’s come to terms with the fact that he’s definitely the type of person who buys things when they remind him of someone and stockpiles them for special occasions, which comes in handy when he walks down the streets of Seoul the day before Christmas Eve to enjoy the sights. Everyone else is rushing around doing their last minute shopping while he’s relaxing, enjoying the fresh air and freedom he has. 

The morning of the 25th arrives with a small pile of gifts downstairs from none other than Yoosung, and Hyun joins the others around the fireplace to open them while eating freshly-baked cinnamon rolls. Seven gets an assortment of computer games and some weird movie about a baby that makes him cackle in delight; Saeran finds a new choker, art supplies and a couple of old, old books; Jumin receives a large tome talking about black magic ( _ what the hell does he need that for!?  _ Hyun wonders) and some cat toys for the feline he doesn’t stop talking about. Hyun stares at his three gifts, unsure what to expect. 

They’d been laid together in what appeared to be a specific order, the smallest on top with a tag that said  _ Open me first! _ underneath his name. Hesitantly, he started peeling back the paper, finding a rectangle tin with money and a note inside.

> _ I know you mentioned wanting to ride a motorcycle one day, so here’s the money to pay for the learner’s course I signed you up for. Please pay attention and make sure you know how to safely ride one.  _
> 
> _ -Y _

Hyun blinks, pulling out the other folded paper included that lists the dates, times and place for said course. He hadn’t been expecting that. Setting it aside, he picks up the one designated as second with the same writing under his name. A small gasp escapes him as he pulls out an extremely nice biker jacket, protective but still something he’d wear. He immediately slips it on over his pajamas, not caring about how ridiculous it looks. 

It’s not news to him, but Hyun can’t stop thinking about how incredible Yoosung is. It seems like any time the man does or says something, Hyun’s feelings grow tenfold. He already feels like his heart is overflowing with emotion for the guy, even though he never sees him. The fact that he remembers a comment Hyun made  _ once _ after watching Saeran ride away on his own bike only strengthens how Hyun feels.

But there’s still one more present he needs to open. It’s thin, sort of shaped like a book. Hyun unwraps this one with more fervor than the last two, curiosity getting the best of him. He blinks; it’s an owner’s manual. For a small motorcycle. With a sticky note on the front.

> _ I know it’s not what you dream of, but until you’re 18 this is the best you can get. Hope you like it. _
> 
> _ -Y _

Hyun’s eyes widen when he realizes what that means and he scrambles to his feet, running full speed to the door and throwing it open. There, in all of it’s glory, is a beautiful, sleek black bike, keys in the ignition and waiting for  _ him. _ He approaches it like one might an animal that could bolt at any moment, reaching out shaking hands to feel the smooth surface. It’s real. It’s actually  _ real _ and it’s  _ his. _

And that’s when Hyun was forced to come to terms with the fact that even in his absence, Yoosung found ways to make Hyun fall in love with him more.

 

-oOo-

 

One birthday passes, then a second. Both times Hyun throws back the covers of his bed and races downstairs, sure that today will be the day that Yoosung comes back. 

Both days, he’s disappointed and no amount of sympathy from the twins makes him feel any better.

His feelings for a man who obviously doesn’t return them and is determined to steer clear of him is perhaps the cruelest joke he’s ever faced on his birthday.

 

-oOo-

 

The day of graduation comes and Hyun sits among his fellow classmates, waiting for the rest of the school to file in so the ceremony can begin. The twins and Jaehee are in the crowd somewhere along with that guy Jumin - Hyun doesn't understand why he even bothered to come since they don’t exactly get along, even after all this time - and he hasn’t been able to snuff out the hope that Yoosung will show up, too. Nothing has helped to move on from the feelings he hadn’t asked for, the love and yearning for a man he hasn’t seen in nigh two years. 

In the time since he’s disappeared, Hyun’s dated two different girls and had two different, messy breakups when he found out they were only really interested in him because of how he looks. Everyone around him is chattering happily, talk of going out with friends or their partners after today to celebrate the end of high school and to make the most of their time together before university rolls around. What should be a time of joy feels dulled to him, the seedling of fear that’s resided in the back of his mind about his parents being right growing after both breakups. The amount of weird shit he experiences that’s directly related to his looks is astounding as well as discouraging; will he only ever be a pretty face to those around him? Will he be able to succeed on stage if people only care for looks and naught about talent?

“Cheer up, grumpy face,” comes a soft voice next to him followed by a nudge. A smile spreads over his lips as he turns to glance down at the small Soomi next to him, her brown eyes looking up at him teasingly. “We’re graduating! We’re done with this hell hole, show some excitement about it!” 

Chuckling fondly, Hyun tilts his head at her and winks. “Am I not energetic enough for you? Should I jump up and down and sing at the top of my lungs about how grateful I am to be done?” Soomi has been his best friend since he’d started at this particular school; their mutual love of the theatre had created a bond quickly, though Soomi’s goal is to write and produce musicals as opposed to actually  _ star _ in them. The productions the school had put on were all hers and Hyun dares to believe that she will go far one day. 

Placing one finger on her chin in faux thought, Soomi glances off to the side before nodding seriously. “I think it’s the least you owe us for putting up with your narcissistic tendencies, don’t you?” 

The chuckle morphs into a hearty laugh that Hyun has to try to muffle with his hand as the last group of first years shuffle into the auditorium. “What can I say? It’s not  _ my _ fault that God made a mistake when he made me~” 

The din around them starts to die down as one of the speakers steps up to the podium, but that doesn’t stop Soomi from rolling her eyes and flipping him off. “Yeah, right. Whatever, pretty boy.” She flicks her long brown braid back behind her and slouches slightly in her chair, arms crossed as she turns her attention up front. In a way, she reminds him of a female version of Saeran except that she’s a little more social. A little. Maybe that’s why he gets along with her so well and did right from the start; a sense of familiarity hung around her. 

The presentation of awards and acknowledgement of graduation doesn’t take all that long, but the time creeps by for Hyun. Being near the end of the alphabet allows him plenty of time to scan the crowd and find the bright red hair of Seven next to the stark white hair of Saeran, which allows him to pick out Jaehee and Jumin as well. There’s an empty seat between the twins; probably saved for the conspicuously absent Yoosung. The lack of one person’s presence shouldn’t be enough to kill the joyful vibes of the day yet it does, leaving Hyun feeling emptier than ever. It’s unfair. He didn’t  _ ask _ for this, didn’t  _ ask _ to fall in love with a vampire who seems to innately know how to make him feel weak at the knees. How is it that someone who is never around and who never calls or texts or even writes manages to capture his heart so efficiently? The heart wants what the heart wants and he knows there’s no use in fighting it, but he can’t help feeling a little resentful that he’s stuck in this purgatory. 

The only reason he knows it’s his turn to go is because Soomi stands and kicks his foot much harder than she needs, raising her eyebrows at him with the word ‘seriously’ all but printed across her soft face. With a shrug, he grins apologetically at her and stands as well, following the line to go up on stage. When his name is called, he walks across, takes the paper, smiles, and heads back to his seat. The whole thing is bland and boring and not at all as fancy as he thinks it should be. 

The first unusual occurrence is the sudden appearance of a bouquet of flowers on his chair that weren’t there when he left. Yellow roses with red tips, a dozen of them framing a sole white rose also sporting red at the end of the petals. Flowers are a traditional part of the graduation ceremony and he’d assumed Jaehee probably arranged some sort of bouquet for him, but this seems like it’s different than that. Something about it tugs at him, but Hyun is no expert on flowers. 

But the girl next to him is.

The gasp draws his attention and Hyun glances at her, smiling when she reaches out reverently to touch it. “Someone likes you,” she says in a sing-songed whisper, a strange emotion flitting across her face. “Thirteen roses means you have a secret admirer. And the combination of these colors…” Drawing a finger down the yellow roses, she smiles sadly, a sight which throws him off. “I’m guessing this means you were friends first, but they hope to fall in love?” Her eyes flick to the single white rose and she nods. “Yeah. That’s definitely what’s going on here. But how did it get on your chair while we were on stage?”

“Beats me,” he answers, but his mind is whirring with possibilities. There’s three vampires that he knows of in the crowd; would one of them do it? There’s no way for these flowers to just appear… but maybe someone fast enough to move unseen through the crowds when distracted could drop them off? 

It’s hard to say. With a final glance around them, Hyun sits down, holding the flowers tight against his chest. The rest of the students file up for their paper but his heart is pounding too loudly for him to hear the speaker anymore. Who could it be from? Seven might give it to him as a prank but it's unlikely. Saeran’s made it clear that he has no real interest in a romantic relationship and the idea of Jumin giving this to him is laughable. Does he dare to hope that maybe…?

The ceremony ends with Hyun still deep in his mind, so the first batch of flour to hit him square in the face takes him by surprise. Coughing, he waves a hand to clear the residual powder floating in the air to see Soomi grinning mischievously at him. “Time to make pretty boy dirty!” she shouts, hand already full of more flour. 

Setting his flowers down, Hyun pulls his own container of the white stuff out from under his chair and brandishes it in front of him like a sword. “Vengeance is sweet,” he starts only to be silenced when a pile lands on his tongue. Sputtering, he throws his handful at his giggling friend.

“Theatrics will only make you lose!” Singing, she dances around him with the skill of a fighter, her judo training giving her a clear advantage. Hyun spins to try to catch her but she dodges and hits him on the back of the head, laughter pouring from him as she continues to pelt him with the powder while he doesn't land a single throw.

The entire auditorium is white, flour floating in the air as shrieks and laughter echo all around them, the celebration of no longer having to wear the bland school uniforms far outweighing that of actually graduating. Hyun’s not sure how long he spends chasing Soomi before a flash of yellow hair grabs his attention. Lowering his hand, he lets his flour fall to the floor and chases after it, leaving behind his very confused friend.

“Yoosung!” Hyun calls once they're outside the building and he can see clearly again. The hunched over figure in front of him is dressed in a blue suit, the hair swooping in a distinctive pattern he knows only one person bothers with. “Yoosung, wait!”

The man in front of him pauses, hunching over slightly before turning around to smile dazzlingly at him. “Hello, Hyun,” comes the cheerful voice he’s heard only in his dreams for years now. “Congratulations on graduating! You must be so happy.” Blonde bangs are pushed aside by a hand and Hyun notices that this is the first time he’s seen Yoosung without his signature hair clips in. “It’s a huge achievement, and with honors, too! I’m so proud, now you can go to the university you chose and-”

“Fuck that,” Hyun interrupts, his crude language causing shock to briefly cross Yoosung’s youthful face. “I mean, thank you and everything, but that’s not what I want to talk about right now.” It’s not that he’s not ecstatic to move past this point in his life, because who really wants to stay in high school forever, but after so long, to see Yoosung in front of him, in the flesh? There’s many more important things both his heart and his mind are urging him to say.

He takes one step forward, then another, then another until he's standing directly in front of Yoosung, close enough to touch if he wanted, and he does want, but patience, patience. “Where have you been?” The question is asked lightly despite the heavy feeling Hyun has while asking it; something about it feels like it will color the mood of the conversation.

Yoosung sighs and shoves his hands in his pocket, looking down. Following his gaze, Hyun watches his foot kick at the ground once, twice, three times before he finally answers. “I've been looking for my cousin. She disappeared around the same time I found you and I… I haven't had any luck so far.”

Whether it's a conveniently timed excuse or the sole truth, the sadness in Yoosung's voice keeps Hyun from doubting that it's at least part of the reason he's been gone. Still, something is rankled deep in him that demands to know more. “But that's not all, right? You came back once and then ran.”

“Hyun…”

Holding up a hand, Hyun shakes his head. “No. I don't want to hear it. You left without saying goodbye, without giving me a chance to process what you and Seven were talking about. I've had years to think about it. Years, Yoosung, with only minimal contact and no explanation. And still, with so much distance between us, I kept falling in love with you.”

The harsh intake of breath and red spreading over Yoosung's cheeks should perhaps be his sign to stop, but now that he's started, Hyun finds he doesn't want to. “Every little note, every gift. They were so few and far in between but you managed to put an arrow through my heart with a few words and a thoughtful present. Do you have any idea how much it stung, to know I meant enough to you that you thought of me while you were gone but not enough to think I deserved to see or speak to you?” Clenching his hands, Hyun exhales slowly. He's getting too worked up. “It's not fair to keep me hanging on like this. You… you slip up sometimes, call me things like ‘love’ and I swear I can see your emotions reflected in your eyes but you run. You run and you don't talk to me.”

There's tears in those bright eyes now, tears threatening to spill over and Hyun knows he managed to get his point across, but it doesn't feel like a victory. Not if it makes Yoosung cry. That's not what he wants. When the first drop falls, he reaches out a flour-clad finger to wipe it away, huffing a soft laugh at the smear it leaves behind. “Did you leave those flowers for me?” He needs to know. He needs to know if Yoosung wants more or not. If he should try harder to convince him not to run again or if he should give up. Even the thought of resignation tastes bitter on his tongue; giving up is not something he takes lightly, but he doesn't have eternity to be chasing after a vampire who clearly thinks he knows what's best for them.

The silence hangs thick between them, Hyun waiting with bated breath for an answer he's not sure he wants. Finally, after what feels like hours, Yoosung nods jerkily. The air whooshes out of his lungs and he sags in relief, his own emotions threatening to spill out in the form of tears as well. But all of that evaporates to leave him empty when Yoosung steps back and says in a voice filled with regret, “but we can't b-be together. Not… not yet. It's not time.”

“Not time,” Hyun echoes hollowly, feeling like his heart has stopped beating completely. “What does that mean?”

Yoosung retreats further. “You're not old enough,” he whispers, wiping away the tears spilling onto his cheeks with the back of a hand. “W-we have to wait a little longer.” 

“Longer.” Unable to do much else, Hyun stumbles over to the nearest bench and drops onto it, staring blankly ahead. “How much longer?” Waiting isn’t ideal, but with how hard he’s fallen and how much he wants to show Yoosung he loves him… he will if he can.

The sound of shuffling greets his ears, then Yoosung’s voice is much closer, a hand falling on his shoulder as familiar eyes dip into view. “Just until you graduate from uni, okay? Then I promise… I’ll come back and tell you everything, okay? Just… will you please wait for me?” Hyun’s startled when he feels Yoosung’s forehead press against his and a hand entwine with his own. It feels so much better than he’d dared to hope, heat shooting through him at every point where they’re touching. “I’m so s-sorry, I… it’s hard for me too. I’ve been waiting so long and I… I want to b-be with you now but I can’t, not yet.”

All it would take is for Hyun to tip his head just a fraction up to press their lips together and he’s sorely tempted to do it, but that wouldn’t be fair to either of them. Instead he brings his free hand up to rest on Yoosung’s cool cheek, rubbing his thumb across the skin there. “Okay,” he whispers, taking a deep breath and exhaling it shakily. “Okay, I’ll wait. But… write this time? Or text or  _ something, _ don’t just drop off the face of the planet again. Please?”

Yoosung chuckles softly, squeezing his hand once before pulling back to nod. “I can do that. Thank you, Hyun.” Pushing himself to his feet from where he’d fallen to his knees, Yoosung shoots Hyun a strange look, chewing on his lip before seeming to steel himself. “For the record, I… I want you to know that I l-love you.” Then he’s gone, hands shoved in his pocket and hurrying away before Hyun has a chance to respond.

The back of the bench is hard when he falls against it, hardly daring to believe what just happened is real. A smile spreads over his face slowly, warmth and happiness blooming in him with such intensity that he feels like he might float away. Yoosung loves him. Yoosung  _ loves _ him and will come back for him. He can wait; he  _ will _ wait, as long as it takes. 

Flowers are suddenly dropped into his lap and he jumps slightly, looking up to see Soomi staring in the direction Yoosung had gone with an eerily blank look on her face. “Didn't know you liked guys,” she says flatly, hands limp by her side.

Hyun frowns, rubbing one of the petals between his thumb and forefinger. Something about the way she says it doesn't sit right. “Just him,” he responds cautiously, glancing down at the roses Yoosung had given him. The smile creeps back and he sighs dreamily, closing his eyes. “Just Yoosung. And I'll wait forever for him if I have to.”

 

-oOo-

 

The first two years of Uni fly by in a flurry of homework and musicals, Hyun auditioning for both school productions and some smaller, not very well-paid pieces open for the public. Between classes and his roles, he wants to make sure he has an impressive resume before he starts looking for jobs in earnest. It doesn't take long for him to become well-known in the College of Performing Arts, and he starts to score leading parts by his second year in nearly everything he auditions for. Everything is going smoothly and even though he's busy, Hyun loves it.

Yoosung writes regularly, both by email and in letters, the latter often included with some sort of package from wherever he currently in. Hyun’s been lucky enough to receive German chocolate, a box of fresh English scones, some some Russian eggs decorated for Christmas and a tribal statue from Africa, among other items and treats. They populate his room at the mansion, an eclectic gathering but he wouldn't trade any of it for anything. Yoosung even makes it home both years for Christmas, his behavior awkward and shy toward Hyun now, like a teenager around his first crush who has no idea how to act. It's endearing and makes it incredibly hard for Hyun to hold himself back but he reminds himself that good things come to those who wait. 

He's halfway through his third year when Soomi graduates, having thrown herself into her studies to the point that he barely ever saw her. Things had changed between them since their graduation from high school and Hyun hadn't been able to figure out why, but that hadn't discouraged him from continuing to try to be her friend. 

The party she throws is huge and of course he's invited. Wearing a black turtleneck with slacks and the new white jacket Yoosung had given him (bought off the runway in Paris, apparently), he shows up, gift in hand, ready to congratulate and celebrate with his best friend. The house she’d been renting is packed to the brim with people, some friends of his, some not. Regardless, he finds her, kisses her on the cheek and gives her the gift before she is herded in another direction.

The night is fun, for the most part, filled with singing, drinking and some kissing games Hyun watches but declines politely anytime he's asked to join. He doesn't see Soomi again until he's sitting on a couch talking to the first year Kyungju, a massive fan of his he's had to keep at arm’s length all year. 

“Hyun,” comes the voice in his ear, lower and far more sultry than he's used to from her. Turning his head in time to see her settle in his lap, he only lets surprise flit across his face for an instant before smiling at his obviously drunk friend. “Or should I say Zen, since that's what you're going by now?” The words are terribly slurred but distinguishable, and he laughs in amusement, hands settling on her waist. 

“Hey, Soomi. Long time, no see. Think you need that?” he asks, tipping his head toward the beer in her hand. She glances at it, confused as he plucks it from her and sets it on the end table. “Maybe you should drink some water so you don't feel like shit tomorrow, hmm?” 

A loud ‘hmph’ comes from next to him and he catches Kyungju storming off into the crowd of people undulating to the music from the corner of his eye, and he shrugs. Ah, well. It's better that she's not hanging all over him, trying to convince him to sleep with her. He's been running out of polite ways to say ‘no.’ 

Soomi sloppily grips his chin and tilts his head back to look at her, and that's when he notices the look in her eyes. They're dark, filled with a feral longing he's seen far too often for his comfort, but not something he'd ever expected to see from her. She attempts to scoot forward but he holds her in place, frowning. “What are you doing?” he asks, keeping his voice slow and soothing, hands firmly planted on her hips.

“I waited five years, ya know.” There's a nasally quality to her voice, almost unbearable as she whines to him, falling forward so that her head rests on his shoulder. This is the first time that Hyun can remember feeling uncomfortable with her. A chill runs down his spine as he starts to put the pieces of the puzzle together. 

“I waited through two girls who weren't anywhere near good enough for you and then when I thought I might have a chance,  _ he _ showed up.” Yoosung. The venom in her words hurt Hyun’s heart, knowing that his once best friend despises the man he loves because of something he'd been too blind to see. Maybe he could've saved her this pain, this heartache if he'd known sooner…

She laughs bitterly, her arms coming up to loop around his neck as she tries to scoot closer again. “One look at your face told me I never stood a chance against that puppy-faced blond, but where is he now? I haven't seen him once since that day.” 

“He visits when he can,” Hyun says gently, furrowing his brows. He's not sure why he feels the need to justify his decision to her, but the accusation in her tone is causing something deep within him to stir.

“Just visits? Are you still waiting for him? What happened to my fiery Hyun, the one who bore his heart for all to see, who would chase after the one he loved to the ends of the world?” He shifts uncomfortably as her head slips closer to his neck, wanting to push her away but not trusting that she won't scoot if he moves his hands. “What made you decide to be ‘Zen’?” Sighing in relief when she lifts her head, he flinches when lips brush lightly against his ear. “Is that what he calls you in bed?”

“Soomi,” he says firmly, gripping her hips and starting the lift her off of him. “This is ridiculous. You're drunk, you don't want to do this.”

As fast as lightning, she locks her legs around his waist and fights him, holding her own despite her inebriation. He groans in frustration. “I see you've kept up on your judo…”

“Don't tell me what I want,  _ Zen,” _ she hisses, twirling a finger in the hair he has pulled back in a ponytail. “I know what I want, and I've waited a long time for it. Maybe you're willing to be his understudy, but I play second fiddle to  _ no one.”  _

Suddenly her lips are pressed against his, wet and slobbery as she tries to coax him into kissing him back. Clenching his teeth, Hyun slips his arms behind him and tugs her arms down, then unhooks her legs, gently pushing her off of him to fall backwards on the couch. “I'm sorry, Soomi, but I can't do this.” He stands and wipes off his mouth, shoving his hands in his pockets. Sparing her one final, guilty look, he turns to make his way through the crowd to leave.

“I could've given you everything you wanted!” 

Cringing as she yells after him, Hyun ducks his head and keeps pushing forward. 

“If he truly loved you, he wouldn't keep you waiting like this!”

Bursting outside into the chilly night air, Hyun turns his face toward the stars and breathes in deeply. A sob works its way out of him and he muffles it with a fist, trying not to dwell on what Soomi had said. It's a lot to take in and he feels sick to his stomach that she kissed him, but the last sentence had touched a nerve that's been rubbing raw for a while now. 

_ If he truly loves me, he wouldn't keep me dangling like a fish on a hook. _

Glancing at his motorcycle, Hyun huffs out a shaky breath and sits down on the curb, turning his phone over and over in his hand. It's not like he had a terribly lot to drink tonight - he'd been responsible enough knowing he'd have to drive home. But he'd been intending to stay a while longer to let more of it filter through him, to feel more sober before he dared to drive. He's not sure he's at that point and he definitely has no real interest in sitting here, waiting for the buzz to wear off. 

So he shoots off a text to Saeran, asking for a ride. The response is immediate, saying he'll be there in 10-15 minutes and Hyun sets the phone in his lap, planting his hands behind him and leaning back a little.

It's not as if he went into this whole situation blind; when he'd agreed to wait, Yoosung had been upfront with saying it would be until after Hyun graduates. Plus, Yoosung’s kept his word with keeping in touch, going above and beyond to visit. Nothing comes of those visits but it’s obvious how much Yoosung cares and sometimes Hyun can see him straining to hold back. But why? Why does he have to wait? All Yoosung had said was that Hyun wasn’t old enough. 

Old enough.

But what’s the difference between now and when he graduates? A little over a year, barely the blink of an eye to a vampire. Maybe that’s why Yoosung can take it in stride while Hyun is left trying to make the days pass faster, throwing himself into work and musicals so that he isn’t dwelling on how lonely he feels. How knowing a relationship he’s wanted for so long is on the horizon, close but not close enough. 

His fingers twitch on his phone, the urge to call Yoosung and demand answers rising up. It’s not a wise idea. He’d promised to wait, but can he really be blamed for having insecurities and doubts after all this time? 

More than that, the longer he thinks about the fact that Soomi kissed him, the more guilt he feels, like he betrayed Yoosung. Like he cheated on him. 

That’s enough for him to pick up the screen and unlock it, pulling up Yoosung’s contact information and pressing to call. Suddenly he feels like he’s overheating, heart racing through him and oh god, he’s going to be sick he’s going to throw up what did he  _ do _ …

Hyun places his elbows on his knees and bends down, letting his head fall between his legs as he pants, phone ringing in his ear. Every second that Yoosung doesn’t pick up causes his breath to quicken until he fears he might hyperventilate. Maybe it’s for the best, maybe he should just lie here on the curb to be taken with the trash since that’s really all he is, anyway.

_ Click. _ “Hyun? Now’s not really a good…” Yoosung’s quiet voice tapers off and Hyun tries to steady his breathing, to stop the tears that sprouted in his eyes without his permission but his body doesn’t listen to him. The gasp and muffled talking on the other end of the line only serves to stress him out further and he considers hanging up; of course it’s the afternoon in France, not night. Yoosung’s probably busy doing whatever reconnaissance he needs in order to find Rika. God, he’s stupid, he’s stupid, stupid, stupid and clingy and not good enough for someone like Yoosung…

“Hyun, love, what’s wrong? Talk to me.” The voice is stronger but worried, the din of voices beyond Yoosung growing softer. Hyun opens his mouth but nothing comes out except a strangled sob. Shuffling followed by the sound of a door shutting greets him and then Yoosung’s talking again. “Breathe, love, breathe. Focus on your breathing. Do you need someone to come get you? I can call Seven…”

“Saeran’s on his way,” Hyun cuts in, his voice raw with emotion. “I… he should be here soon. I’m sorry, Yoosung.” He should hang up now, just hang up and leave and go be a failure somewhere else. 

“Shh, it’s okay, just breathe. What happened?” The love in his voice is nearly enough to break Hyun; how could he have these doubts? Yoosung has never shown him anything but love and kindness, yet here he is, being an ass and throwing an essential temper tantrum because he doesn’t get to  _ kiss _ him yet. 

“You deserve someone better than me,” he whispers, clutching the phone tightly. His throat burns as acid starts to creep up; shit, he’s going to vomit on the phone with Yoosung. 

There’s a moment of hesitation before Yoosung speaks again. “I don’t care what you think I deserve. I know what I want and who I love, and that person is you.”

“Soomi kissed me.” It comes out tasting like bile and oh, god, this is it. This is when he receives his sentencing and he’s not sure he can handle it. Squeezing his eyes shut, Hyun covers his mouth with a hand and retches into it, feeling his whole body start to tremble. A distant revving noise can be heard and he’s not sure if he should be looking for Saeran or if it’s just the buzzing of his head, but either way, he doesn’t dare move. 

“Soomi? Your friend?” A short pause. “Did you kiss her back?”

“No, never!” Hyun nearly shouts the words, so desperate is he to atone for his mistakes. “No, I shoved her off and left but I… I should’ve seen it coming, I should’ve stopped her before it happened, god, I’m so sorry, Yoosung, I’m such a terrible person and -”

“ _ Stop.” _

Mouth snapping shut, Hyun’s heart drops. This is it. Now Yoosung’s going to tell him to bugger off and never come back. He’s messed up the best thing to ever happen to him before it’s even began.

A soft sigh comes from the phone. “Look. I know this whole situation hasn’t been… well,  _ fair, _ to you and I’ve asked myself several times if I’m just being selfish by asking you to wait. And yeah, maybe I am but can you blame me? You’re so wonderful and amazing, how could anyone  _ not _ fall in love with you? Still. Maybe it would’ve been better if I’d kept my mouth shut and let you just live your life, knowing that one day, my turn would come. Then you wouldn’t be in this situation.”

A hand lands on his back, rubbing softly and Hyun jumps, looking up into the concerned face of Saeran. Pointing at the phone, he mouths “Yoosung?” and nods when Hyun mouths “yes” back. Sitting on the curb next to him, he keeps rubbing Hyun’s back, pulling out his own phone to occupy himself.

“Hyun, I haven’t been very good to you. I’ve asked you to wait and I’ve done what you’ve asked but I’ve never actually  _ listened, _ never properly asked how  _ you _ feel about everything. If you had decided to date someone because you got tired, I wouldn’t have been mad. I’d get it. And then  _ I’d _ wait, because eventually we always come back to each other.”

_ Always come back to each other? _ What does that mean? Forcing himself to sit up a little, Hyun remains hunched forward as he listens, surprised when Saeran offers him a cigarette and taking it gratefully. 

“But don’t you ever,  _ ever _ say you’re a bad person. You take too much blame on yourself, internalize everything like you could save everyone if only you knew how and that’s not the case.” Another pause, then a sigh. “If you’d kissed Soomi back, it would’ve hurt, yeah, but I still wouldn’t have been mad. As it stands, you didn’t. You left. You did nothing wrong, okay? Absolutely nothing.”

“But…” Hyun starts to protest, only to be cut off again when Yoosung talks over him.

“No buts. Whatever guilt you have over this, get rid of it. It’s like a poison and you don’t need that. You need to remember how loved you are, how special you are, and I…” Yoosung hums through the speaker a moment in thought. “I’m going to come back and show you that.”

Hyun sits bolt upright, nearly dropping the cigarette in his hand. “What, really?”

A soft laugh is his answer. “Yes, really. Let me finish up what I’m doing here - which should only take me a few more days - and then I’ll be on my way home, okay? I think you’ve waited for me long enough.”

Every negative emotion he’d been feeling up until this point is snuffed out as pure ecstasy takes their place. Only Saeran’s hand - which has moved to his shoulder - keeps Hyun from jumping up and shouting in glee. Finally,  _ finally, _ Yoosung is coming home. To  _ him. _

“But I’ve got to go now, okay, love? I’ll see you soon.” Then the line goes dead.

“He’s coming home, huh.” Saeran’s watching Hyun with a mildly amused expression, one eyebrow raised as he puffs out some smoke. “It’s about damn time, it’s fucking sickening watching you two dance around each other.”

A startled laugh erupts from Hyun. “Just say what you’re thinking, why don’t you?”

Saeran shrugs, the corners of his lips curled up into a smile. “Always do. Now come on. Let’s get your drunk ass home.”

 

-oOo-

 

Never before has a week passed so slowly. Zen nearly drives himself insane waiting, anticipation combining with nerves to make him a jittery mess. A couple of times he tries to skip class to stay home,  _ just in case _ Yoosung comes back that day, but the twins both push him to attend, even going so far as for Saeran to drop him off at campus. 

“Dude, chill,” Saeran grumps over breakfast on the seventh day, shoving blueberry crepes at Zen. “It’s just Yoosung, the same clumsy blond nerd you’ve known all this time.”

“Oh, but dear brother~ Can’t you just hear the wedding bells a-callin’?” Seven swoons, leaning against Zen’s shoulder and batting his eyes at Saeran from across the table. “There’s romance in the air!” 

“Get  _ off, _ weirdo,” Zen mutters, shoving at Seven and ignoring the cackling response it gets him. “I’m nervous because I’ve been waiting forever for this. Surely you can understand?” he directs toward Saeran, poking the crepe and pushing it around the plate. 

“Nope.” Saeran shrugs and starts eating, rolling his eyes when Seven starts to try to bait him into singing with him.

“Come onnnn, it’s your favorite movie~”

“Fuck off. Sing it yourself.”

“Sing...what?” Glancing between the brothers, Zen’s not sure whether to be more curious or wary. Anything stemming from Seven is questionable and can go either way. It’s not reliable to judge by Saeran’s response, either, since he refuses to take part in most things Seven starts.

Standing, Seven clears his throat obnoxiously and sings a few test notes dramatically before finally launching into song. “I can see what's happening, and they don't have a clue. They'll fall in love and here's the bottom line…” He slides over to Saeran, draping an arm around his annoyed brother. “Our trio’s down to two.” Putting up two fingers, he pouts at Zen. “Ze sweet caress of twilight, there's magic everywhere~ and with all this romantic atmosphere… disaster’s in the air!!!”

“Oh my god…” Zen covers his face with a hand, laughing. How uniquely  _ Seven _ to compare him and Yoosung to Nala and Simba. “So which one am I, then?”

“Isn't that obvious? You're Nala, always knocking me off my feet.” 

Nearly choking on a bite of crepe, Zen whips around in his chair to see Yoosung leaning against the frame of the doorway, a smile on his lips and pink spreading over his face. “Yoosung…”

“Ah, yes, of course Yoosung would be Simba, running away from responsibility and acting tougher than the cotton ball he is~” Seven teases, striding over to yank Yoosung into a hug. “My buddy, my pal, how good it is to see you again. How long are we graced with your hypnotizing presence this time?”

Yoosung pulls away from Seven to look directly at Zen when he answers. “I'm staying this time.”

 

-oOo-

 

Zen stares at Yoosung, mouth open as he tries to process everything just dumped on him. Yoosung had gone slowly, explaining with the ease of someone who's done this more than a few times. He’d been in depth where he needed, patient when Zen would ask questions that were surely dumb and had given examples when possible.

Still, it’s a  _ lot _ to take in.

“So… you're saying that after I die, I will be reborn?” he asks uncertainly, trying to wrap his head around the fact that they're talking literal reincarnation.  “But how do you know it's me and not just someone  _ like _ me?”

“I just do,” Yoosung says simply, shrugging. “It's hard to explain, but it's like… like a piece of me resides in you. Or something else, but I just  _ know _ when you're near. Plus, you always look the same. White hair which you choose to grow out, piercing red eyes, flawless skin…” 

“Huh.” Zen's not really sure if he can process this all right now. “But uh. Why haven't you turned me? That's a thing, right? You can make me a vampire and we could be together forever, right?” 

Yoosung perks up, a spark of hope in his eyes. “Yeah, I could! You've just... never wanted that before.” 

“Huh,” Zen says again, scratching his neck slowly. The idea of being a vampire doesn’t really seem all too appealing to him, with the exception of eternity with Yoosung. But from the way it sounds, that’s what they’re doing anyway - just with a few years break here and there. 

Give or take accurateness.

“That’s not a decision you need to make any time soon, though,” Yoosung says quickly, holding up his hands and waving them wildly in front of his face. “But… I owed you an explanation, and there it is. You can ask any questions or for clarification and I’ll do my best to answer.”

“Any question?” Sliding his eyes over to look at Yoosung, Zen’s lips curl up in a smirk. “Any question at all?”

Eyes wide and filled with sincerity, Yoosung nods. “Anything. I want to be honest with you.”

Pushing himself off the chair he’s sitting in, Zen takes the few steps over to where Yoosung is pacing, bringing up a hand to cup his cheek. “Then I’d like to ask if I’m allowed to kiss you now.”

“O-oh!” Yoosung’s eyes widen even more for a moment before he smiles, biting his lip and nodding. “Of course. Anytime y-you want.”

“You’re stuttering. Cute,” Zen murmurs, moving his hand down to grasp Yoosung’s chin, tilting it up toward him. Heart slamming against his ribcage, Zen slowly lowers his lips to press against Yoosung’s, softly at first, then with increased pressure. Yoosung’s arms slip around his neck and he melts against him, responding instantly.

As far as kisses go, it’s definitely the best Zen’s ever experienced, and definitely worth the wait.

**Author's Note:**

> Did you like it? Did you love it? Did you... *gasp* hate it? Let me know! I'm always open for reviews, comments and helpful criticism.  
> I'm here to grow. :)
> 
> You can also find me on Tumblr as [cutiesaeran](http://cutiesaeran.tumblr.com/) or twitter [@MysticHawke](https://twitter.com/MysticHawke/)!


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